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Vacation Resort Review: El Dorado Royal by Karisma

Well, I’m finally getting around to writing this review for y’all. I honestly haven’t had a moment to sit and compile everything, but slight hesitation due to what I’ve been diagnosed with as “mild post vaca depression” could have played a part as well.

I am going to post a fact sheet at the bottom of this post displaying all of the resort facts from restaurants to pools to bars, etc. as well as a link directly to the resort itself.

*I have not been asked to write this review by El Dorado Royale.*

Ok, so first, we were very excited to go back to the resort we honeymooned at 7 years ago. It is so crazy how it feels like forever and yet only feels like yesterday. We showed up and it was nostalgia all over again. We toasted champagne and got some lunch and walked around while waiting for our room.

The Rooms

We always stay in a Junior Suite which is technically the “basic” room. You have options to get an ocean view if you like, or a swim up room, or a suite. Our thinking is that a) we are hardly in the room, and b) the basic rooms are 590 sq. ft. They are gorgeous, have an in room jacuzzi, large shower, double vanity, sitting area, and porch with a hammock. I absolutely love the rooms!

The Food

One of the questions I got asked was, “How was the food?” Overall, the food is great. There are a few restaurants that I didn’t particularly care for, more for preference than anything else, but everyone is different, and overall, I really had pleasant food experiences. This resort prides itself in gourmet foods and is very spa focused. That being said, you typically get a little healthier options, but the portions are not large. Another question I got was, “Is it All-Inclusive?” YES. (Drinks and food) So that also being said, order multiple appetizers, entrees, etc. Don’t feel bad for doing it, they don’t even blink at it. Just order whatever sounds good and enjoy. I guarantee if you don’t, you will be hungry. Not to worry if you still are though because they have 24 hour room service. Just make sure you allow at least 45 minutes for your food to get there.

Another thing I want to mention is that this resort has what they call a “Casitas” portion to the compound. The Casitas are actual little homes/condos that you can upgrade to. On the Casitas portion of the grounds are three FABULOUS restaurants-Santa Fe Grille, D’Italia, and Kampai. You are allowed to go into the Casitas portion of the resort, but these restaurants will require a reservation whereas the others do not. Totally worth it however, because out of all the restaurants, these three were the absolute best!

Pools

Once again, I’ll let the fact sheet tell you how many pools there are, but you will have a pool for every scene. The main pool is going to be your party pool. It’s always got music, pool volleyball, activities, etc. There is a pool behind that that is smaller and VERY quiet-a little too quiet for me, but nice. The two other pools we really enjoyed and a lazy river runs between them, so you can easily float between each one. The one we enjoyed was at “The Spot”. It had cabana beds, a swim up bar, and a buffet restaurant attached. Easily the best lunch. I loved having everything right there and it was fabulous eats.

The Beach

I’m a beach girl so it’s really hard to disappoint me with a beach (unless it’s Galveston), but I will say that my only complaint is that they have a man made reef here and it keeps all the seaweed from washing out so it all tends to pile up on the beach itself, but also in the water…I’m not a huge fan of that, but it is still very beautiful. They also have beach volleyball here every day as well.

Bars

There are a lot of bars ranging from swim up, outdoor, and inside. All I will say here is, you’ll do best if you order by brand. (i.e instead of just saying “vodka tonic”, ask for Grey Goose and tonic.) Otherwise, you will get the cheap liquor and it won’t taste as good. Overall, bartenders are on point.

They also have a health bar where you can get fresh pressed juices,fresh fruit, and smoothies-oh my! #getchasome

Entertainment

Ok, here is where I am going to get a little picky. When we went on our honeymoon, they have shows every night at like 9:30, but they also used to be more interactive. They would ask where you’re from, they would play couples games, etc. Now, it seems they’ve gone to only the shows themselves lasting only an hour. They do performances ranging from Mexican night to Michael Jackson performances. Putting it bluntly, they aren’t the best. If you’ve ever been on a cruise or somewhere where people legitimately perform, then these mostly lip syncing performances will be disappointing to you. But, it can still be a fun thing to do, because, hey, you’ll laugh, you’ll drink, and who cares. They have dancing afterward, but they play the same playlist every night. If you have a buzz and like to dance, you won’t care…or if you’re me, even completely sober you still won’t care because, well, #musicanddancingarelife!

(Completely sober👆🏼, buzz ETA: about 20 minutes. I won’t front😉)

Misc.

They have free non-motorized activities: biking, kayaking, yoga, other fitness classes, and ping pong tables. They have archery, a greenhouse you can tour, riflery, and much more.

yoga on the pier one morning overlooking the ocean. I got there pretty early so I could meditate alone and it was 👌🏼

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They also have the spa. The spa is very expensive since that’s what they really pride themselves on. If you’re looking for just a massage, my suggestion is to book an excursion that includes something fun like zip lining, or jet skiing, but that also has a couples massage attached to it.

Another question I got is how much is it per night. I will post a link to the resort itself below and you can check for yourself since different times of the year will vary. We also went through a travel agent to book.

Will we go back again? Probably not only because we have been twice now and I like to try new things, but I would recommend this to anyone on their anniversary or for a honeymoon since they are a honeymoon resort. Mention that and you will usually get a discount of some sort on any spa services.